maybe some external parasites?

[wazhrmghg]

hi guys,

i currently have 7 wild discus in my planted tank, fishes are quite stable now for a year already. but i recently found out that several of them have some scales on the upper body turn dark. and also some spots get scale loss, leave white spot there without scale.

anyone experience same issue? fishes are acting very good, water is also no issue here in singapore, temp is around 30 degrees, ph 6-6.5.

i am afraid if this is external parasites to damage the scale? or lack of certain nutrition? i feed them freeze dried beefheart mix, freeze dried blackworm, frozen bloodworm and frozen brine shrimp as most of them refuse to eat pellets from any brands.

thanks very much,

vincent
IMG_0853.jpgIMG_0856.jpg

[rickztahone]

Might that have been some kind of heater burn mark?

[jmf3460]

just looks like scratches that are healing to me. the dark is where the scale is healing. this is exactly what my wilds look like when they suffer a scratch and it heals. it is weird that its not localized though, like a scratch or wound would be. do your fish have something in the tank that they like two swim in between, like two logs that are close together and the fish's sides would scrape the logs as they swam through them. Like maybe they do it intentionally because they like swimming through some two objects bc it is such a light scratch that they don't mind the feeling??

[wazhrmghg]

Might that have been some kind of heater burn mark?

i dont use heater, i m in singapore, temp is always 30 degrees...but may be my light is too much? as the light is for plants, so the fishes got "sun burn"? hehe

[wazhrmghg]

just looks like scratches that are healing to me. the dark is where the scale is healing. this is exactly what my wilds look like when they suffer a scratch and it heals. it is weird that its not localized though, like a scratch or wound would be. do your fish have something in the tank that they like two swim in between, like two logs that are close together and the fish's sides would scrape the logs as they swam through them. Like maybe they do it intentionally because they like swimming through some two objects bc it is such a light scratch that they don't mind the feeling??

hi thanks, yes they do scratch themselves sometime against the pipes, they dont like to do that, but sometime they freak out and scratch accidentally. so u mean the dark spots are normal? its been dark for several months already.

[Second Hand Pat]

Do you have any pleco's in the tank?
Pat

[wazhrmghg]

Do you have any pleco's in the tank?
Pat

hi pat, no pleco, only have some siamese but they never bother the discus.

[jmf3460]

it looks like scratches to me. here is a pic of one of my wilds after a scratch happened, I stopped taking pictures of the healing process but basically the scales turn dark like a scab before the new ones take their place. could it be that they have some where they are continually scraping themselves???
scrape5.jpg

[rickztahone]

If it isn't the heater, I have to go with everyone else, they are scratches. You can add just a little bit of salt to help, but it isn't needed. Clean water however, is.

[jmf3460]

OP do you use rooibos tea in your water? I use it and find that my scratches heal within days.

[wazhrmghg]

OP do you use rooibos tea in your water? I use it and find that my scratches heal within days.

interesting, i think i will try, seems now these are just scratches, just not healing fast enough due to some reasons. thank you jacklyn

[rickztahone]

interesting, i think i will try, seems now these are just scratches, just not healing fast enough due to some reasons. thank you jacklyn

possibly water quality. Do frequent WC's and it may go away sooner.